In general, wireless communication is insecure and vulnerable to attacks. Various techniques may be employed to secure a wireless communication link or to make it less vulnerable to attacks. For example, cryptographic techniques may be employed to secure a wireless communication link. In symmetric-key systems (also known as “secret-key systems”), a single, common cryptographic key is stored by two communication devices. In public-key systems (also known as “public-private pair systems”), each communication device stores its own private key and freely distributes its own public key.
Various security concerns exist with the use of cryptographic techniques. For example, secrets need to be shared between the two communication devices in a secure and authenticated manner. Especially in the case of mobile devices, it may be desirable to have only those two devices know the secret and not require the intervention/involvement of an Information Technology (IT) administrator. Also, it may be desirable to verify that the devices share a secret without exposing that secret to others, and to use the secret to generate a key to secure a communication link between the devices.
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